


Sheila

by Khiela



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Pre-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-28 03:06:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10822440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khiela/pseuds/Khiela
Summary: What if the Potter's had a house elf?





	Sheila

The Manor house is quiet as Sheila hums quietly the tune of one of Mistress Lily's favourite songs as she dusts the entrance hall. She is doing it manually so it will take her as long as possible.

Suddenly, she freezes.

Her whole being is fine-tuned to her Family Bond, the only thing that has kept Sheila sane in the nine years since she woke up disoriented and found her Family gone. Mistress and Master _gone_ and young Master out of her reach, behind a ward – or so Sheila had interpreted - and a really strong ward, too.

But now there is movement. She can feel her Young Master moving, and she concentrates on feeling him. Maybe today is the day he moves outside the reach of the ward?  

It is not the first time, but Sheila is hopeful and concentrates every time.  

And today it pays off. At long last, she knows _exactly_ where her Young Master is. In her excitement, she pops straight to him, still holding the duster.  

Sheila appears on a road and is greeted by a car horn and squealing tires. With a shriek she pops away, leaving behind only the duster and panicked man, looking for the weird dog that he'd been certain he hit.  

In her panic, Sheila popped back home, to the Manor. There she calms herself and resolves to track her Young Master from afar until he stops again. Two times she has anxiety filled moments as she feels him move back towards the point she'd first felt him appear but he doesn't re-enter the ward.  

Finally, in the evening he stops. More cautiously now Sheila lets her magic guide her to pop into a safe place. She knows she is in a muggle place immediately. Everything feels as muted as the home of Mistress Lily's parents had that one time Sheila had been there. Sheila knows she must not be seen by muggles, and has to wait little longer until her Young Master is alone.  

She almost shakes with anticipation.  

When she finally lays her eyes on her Young Master Sheila bursts into tears. She can see right away that she has been needed. Her cooking, her clothes magic, her lullabies.

 

* * *

 

Sitting on the dubiously clean motel bed Harry Potter gapes at the weird weeping creature that just appeared in front of him, out of thin air! The last few days have been weird – what with the strange letters, and Uncle Vernon's nervous meltdown but this takes the cake.

"What are you?"  Harry whispers, eyes wide. The creature looks humanoid, but it has large ears and green-tinted skin that makes it clear to see it - she? - is not human.  

"Young Master Harry," it’s still crying. "I's Sheila."

**Author's Note:**

> Why could Dobby go through the wards on Privet Drive but not Sheila?  
> Either this is an AU with stronger wards and/or more manipulative Dumbledore… or Harry leaving for Hogwarts and being away from Privet Drive weakened or “opened” the wards a little. There is also Hedwig, coming and going that Dobby could’ve followed.  
> (I’m finding I have surprisingly many thoughts about this?)


End file.
